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Post by patmatgal on Jan 13, 2009 20:54:17 GMT 1
Went out this morning to try a new battery pack, Rhino 1750 mah, and also test the new gravel parking lot at a park where I fly (early in the AM nobody is around and it's pretty relaxing) The battery was doing very well, take offs and landings on the hardpack were fantasric and I decided to try a different aproach angle for another landing (more into the wind). I would have to circle some trees and come in between some trees, clear a chain link fence, but no problem... Misjudged the clearence between the plane and the trees and this is where she ended the flight, nesting in a tree. ![]() i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh273/patmatgal/FinalHangar.jpg[/IMG] I really like the retrieval method using a sling shot, fishing weight and string, but didn't have enough string for this and lost the only 1/2 oz weigt I had with me. The spiderwire and smaller weights I tried too didn't work either so it's off to get some more kite string... |
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Post by patmatgal on Jan 13, 2009 20:55:36 GMT 1
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Post by Ellis on Jan 13, 2009 21:32:31 GMT 1
It would have to be the very top of the tallest tree.
That bites...
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Post by patmatgal on Feb 8, 2009 18:19:29 GMT 1
Yeah, last time I checked it was still up there but a little deeper into the tree, gonna be a pain to get back. Right now I'm building another Cub that will work on my DX6 but use a stock motor and Li Po battery. No ailerons on this one and all the dihedral in the wing, just a slow relaxing flyer.
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Post by patmatgal on Feb 12, 2009 22:17:32 GMT 1
Oh Yeah! Got it back ;D After all my attempts at bringing it down, it finally gave in to 50mph winds (no kidding, weather forecast said 45 to 55) today and was waiting for me on the ground  It's got a few minor dings, the tail is snapped and the landing gear is still in the tree (can see my 2 1/2 inch Dubro tires up there) but nothing that should prevent it from flying. Right now I have several other pressing matters to deal with but I see this thing coming back to life and zipping around the sky. PS I was almost tempted to go out there and leave a saucer of milk under the tree tonight in another attempt to coax it down. |
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Post by admiralev on Feb 13, 2009 3:59:40 GMT 1
wow you got really luck on that one. i would've guessed that thing was never coming back
did it rain or get wet? you may want to look into your elecs. before taking it back up in the air. treat that lipo with extreme caution after leaving it in the tree for that long. it is probably completely drained and dead. fly can help you asess that matter
admiral
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Post by patmatgal on Feb 13, 2009 5:36:15 GMT 1
Yes fly is a great help. Ended up getting the Li Po from 0 to 9.1 volts so the balance charger (Cellpro4) could recognize it and do it's thing, all the cells balanced within .2 volts and the battery didn't even get warm. The battery was new and this was its first flight, maybe that's why it seemed to recover so well. But in the end I compared it to an identical battery and realized that the "treed one" was a little mushy on the sides so will drain it and trash it. Over the past month we got about an inch and a half of snow and 3 small rain showers (hopefully being way up in the tree it dried out real fast) Have checked the motor, ESC, receiver and servos, all systems go (or so it appears) Will clean it all up, fix what needs fixing and get that bad boy in the air again.
Thanks much to all
PS Never did get a chance to try that alternate landing path, between some trees, over a fence and onto a nice gravel parking lot so will have to give it another try but I gotta remember my own tag line "Watch out for that tree..." LOL
pss happy and safe flying to all
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Post by ginginho on Feb 13, 2009 10:53:51 GMT 1
Great to see you've got it back Pat, shame about the battery tho. You sure you want to try that alternative approach again? That's gonna be scary!  |
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Post by patmatgal on Feb 15, 2009 2:01:11 GMT 1
LOL Yeah not too sure about that "alternative" runway, it is pretty neat though. Here's a pic of it though,  Pretty nice because if you come in between th trees there is all this gravel parking lot to land on. Was out this morning at another flying site with this plane,  just like a stock Cub except that it's on my DX6 and runs on a LI Po battery (the bottom of the fuse and bottom of the wing are painted yellow, there's a 3 LED light on it and I replaced the wing struts). But it flies much like a stock Super Cub, which is to say slow. This evening I figured I would try that site and the new landing strip. Landed once, did 2 fantastic touch and goes, came around for the 4th time and the plane "nested" in a tree. Located it on the far corner about 15 to 20 feet up, over a briar patch but since the light was fading quickly I went to Home Dept, got 2 12 foot lengths of moulding and will recover the plane tomorrow AM. Man I gotta watch out for those trees... |
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Post by patmatgal on Feb 15, 2009 17:20:38 GMT 1
Got it! Went back this morning and there was my plane  Ended up getting it back like this  |
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Post by patmatgal on Feb 15, 2009 23:41:00 GMT 1
Oooh!
Was looking at the damage, not too severe at all. The receiver and servos are still working fine, ESC seems OK but the motor is burnt up. Started out flying an APC 10 X 4.7 prop in the morning (flew it for about half a battery pack and switched to a stock 10 X 8), never bothered switching back so I ended up flying 4 Li P battery packs thru the stock 480 brushed motor at WOT. Well this afternoon when I took the cowl off I caught a burnt smell from the motor, sure enough the motor didn't work anymore. I know a 10 X 8 is over taxing this motor if a LI Po is used, but could it have burnt up after only 4 battery packs?
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It's got a few minor dings, the tail is snapped and the landing gear is still in the tree (can see my 2 1/2 inch Dubro tires up there) but nothing that should prevent it from flying. Right now I have several other pressing matters to deal with but I see this thing coming back to life and zipping around the sky.
